It's Hoyer's time to dance against Bengals

The Bengals haven’t seen anything like Brian Hoyer for a long, long time. But does anybody even know who or what Hoyer is? For one thing, he’s a man with a birthday dream.

Steve Doerschuk

The Browns are breaking in a quarterback against Cincinnati. Don’t they always?

In 1999, rookie No. 1 overall pick Tim Couch took what looked like his first NFL win into the final seconds. Rookie No. 3 overall pick Akili Smith drove the Bengals to a last-second TD and an 18-17 win.

Kelly Holcomb’s first win as a Browns starter, in 2002, was 20-7 over the Bengals.

Trent Dilfer’s Cleveland debut was a 27-13 loss to Cincinnati in the 2005 opener.

Charlie Frye’s big shot in 2006 started to go south when he lost the season’s first road game, at Cincinnati.

Derek Anderson’s first start in 2007 was a 51-45 win over guess who.

Colt McCoy won the No. 1 QB job in 2011 and lost the season opener to the Bengals, 27-17.

Brandon Weeden’s first NFL road game was a 34-27 loss on the banks of the Ohio River.

Now it’s Brian Hoyer’s turn to dance.

Hoyer’s first home start in a five-year NFL career, for the 1-2 Browns, will be against the 2-1 Bengals.

Good luck predicting what this will look like. None of the quarterbacks listed above has had a background anything like Hoyer’s.

Hoyer’s own teammates can only guess what to make of the undrafted veteran who spent three years going to meetings with Tom Brady before the Patriots let him go.

“One thing for sure,” said linebacker Craig Robertson, who practices against Hoyer, “he gets the ball out quick.”

In a 31-27 win at Minnesota, Hoyer’s rapid release had its good points (five drives of 45 yards or more) and it’s bad (three interceptions within five series overlapping the second and third quarters).

“We had peaks and valleys,” said tight end Jordan Cameron, who caught three touchdown passes, including the game-winner from Hoyer with 51 seconds left.

The only exception in the run was at Philadelphia against 2012 rookie Nick Foles. The Bengals took him apart, winning 34-13.

Hoyer is no rookie. He will turn 28 on Oct. 13, the day of a game against Detroit. His dream birthday would be coming off a win over the Bengals, a Thursday night win against Buffalo, and a conquest of the Lions that would put his record at 4-0.

If Browns players are dreaming, they aren’t assuming much. They were cured of an inclination in that direction by the Trent Richardson trade.

Jordan had two high-yardage games with Brandon Weeden. His yardage was substantially less with Hoyer, but he caught two touchdown passes from him.

“I can’t control any of that (who plays quarterback),” he said. “Coach will decide who’s going to play.”

Jordan did say this of Hoyer’s start at Minnesota:

“He was very poised. That’s a great word. Poised.”

It remains to be seen whether the Browns rally around each other during a week when Richardson said his new team, the Colts, works harder and has more camaraderie than his old one.

Browns offensive captain Joe Thomas certainly led well at Minnesota. In a week that spurred debate as to whether the Browns should have taken Adrian Peterson or Thomas with the third pick of the 2007 draft, Thomas had one of the better games of his career.

The defense held Peterson under 100 yards and to 3.5 yards a carry.

“The front seven played their butts off,” said Robertson, who played all 79 defensive snaps. “It’s big when you stop the run. That’s when you earn the right to rush the passer.”

The Browns are rushing the passer rather well. Only the Chiefs (15) and Cowboys (13) have more sacks than they do (12).

The Browns’ defense has blended the old and the new. Free agency pick-up Desmond Bryant leads in sacks with 3.5.

2011 Round 1 pick Phil Taylor, the nose tackle, is setting a tone against the run.

“Phil is as physical a player as I know,” Bryant said.

The Bengals are plenty physical, reflecting their tough-guy coordinator, Mike Zimmer, who interviewed for the Browns head coaching job.

The Bengals ranked sixth in total defense last year. Their leading tackler this year, linebacker Vontaze Burfict, is turning into the mouth of the south.

A Cincinnati writer asked about the emerging tight end, Cameron. Burfict replied, “Regular game for me. I don’t even know who he is. Just a regular tight end.”

Maybe he think Josh Gordon is a regular receiver. Maybe the Bengals think they should abuse a quarterback like Hoyer.

Except, does anyone really know what Hoyer is like?

He would very much like to be different in this regard: He would like to be the quarterback the Bengals see again and again, rather than the latest member of Arms Anonymous.

Reach Steve at 330-580-8347
or steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @sdoerschukREP

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